Inside Out And Backwards
by CatGal15
Summary: A single-chapter script of my views on Inside Out.


Okay, I'm going to drop the rules of writing here and refer to myself, the author. I'm not a character in this story - I am the story. While I cheat on my current book, let me paint you a picture...

Riley Anderson is frustrated from a hard day at school; everything seems out to get her. She's being short with her parents.

Then her mother tells her... "Don't bottle up your emotions."

Do you see it?

The Emotions inside Riley's head are in bottles. Different sizes, different shapes; but all of them are made of clear glass. Anger, naturally, tried to punch his way free. Glass shards litter the floor around him; and now he's yelling furiously because his fist is stuck. Fear is, naturally, afraid of this outburst; and he's only happy he's safe inside his own bottle instead of being cooped up with Anger. Sadness is crying so much (at being caged like an animal, no doubt) that her bottle is filling up with tears. Joy - sweet, awesome Joy - is on a cloud, because the glow she gives off is reflecting within the bottle, and she's dancing and acting like a disco ball. Disgust...Well, okay, so she's talking to herself.

Still with me? Okay! Day two!

Anger wakes up from a nap. His fist is scraped up and numb. He gets up and continues trying to pull his hand out of the hole. Joy has discovered that if she positions herself just right, the direction of the rays of the light change, and she's amusing herself. Sadness' bottle has fallen, and the tears are spilling out - Joy's light is reflected in her full eyes. Fear and Disgust are having a heated argument when Anger decides to punch the bottle again and make the hole bigger; an action which causes his bottle to tip and fall over.

He's yelling again.

Okay, so that wasn't so bad, was it? I've had that image in my mind for a long, long time. I actually started to draw it...But when I realized there was a chance I might not have Internet at the new place, I gave up. It seemed a whole lot faster to write it out. (I think I saved myself a year.)

And you know what Inside Out desperately needs? Since "Going back in time and just not making the movie" can't happen (yet), the Emotions need to come across a dark, forgotten chamber of Riley's subconscience; and in it, they find new Emotions - Bashful, a blushing, shy Emotion; Bravery, who gives Riley a spine, and Confidence, a bold, boisterous Emotion who makes Riley feel good about herself. Taking the elevator down the pharynx, they enter the chambers of Riley's heart, where they discover Passion, an Emotion Riley discovers at puberty; Pity, who helps Riley empathize; Envy, who's even greener than Disgust, and Deadpan, who is incapable of emotion, turning him into a cold, impassive ally capable of making Riley do unethical things, like stealing. Deadpan makes a rival out of Anger when the latter claims the heart is a fickle place. One day the pair get into a fight over which of them should man the controls, turning Riley into a furious monster.

I know exactly how it would all come to be! I just thought of it. Anger is at the wheel, forcing Riley to stand up to the mean boy who said her nose was big (which it is; I saw a picture where it nearly touched her eye. Yuck). The two of them start picking on each other, and are seemingly unable to resolve their dispute when suddenly Riley decides to just walk away from the argument. Anger is confused, because none of the other Emotions are at the controls. So they explore and find a different control board in Riley's heart.

Am I wrong? Doesn't this sound like a sequel that would actually, you know, provide Riley with the other emotions?

Yes, I watched the movie. Twice, if you count the time I realized it was finally out in HD and was able to watch the whole thing without, you know, my head bursting into flames. But no, I did not like it. In general, a cute idea. I liked the brain freeze addition. I suppose the reason it just didn't appeal was that it lacked other emotions. Perhaps if they were to take my idea and give Riley more depth, more - shall we say - character.

But of course Riley would be older. Maybe her hair would be different. Maybe Deadpan has made her go punk. I hate when animated shows get older and older, and the characters don't change at all.

Anyway, that's what's been going on in MY head! Feel free to draw "Bottled Up" if you like the concept. If you do so, please link it back to me; I'd love to see the result one day. And hopefully, Disney slash Pixar (or as I call them as a pair, Pixney) reads this and decides to further explore the emotional depth of mankind; I like to think we're all more than anger, disgust, fear, sadness and one emotion whose goodness is vastly outnumbered by a sickening one in five. 


End file.
